Preface

Unit 1 - Introduction to Ethnobotany

What is Ethnobotany?
Why are Plants Critical to Our Lives?
Plants as the Basis for Civilization
Chronology of Some Milestones in Plant Science
Modern Day Ethnobotany
The Approach of this Book
Questions for Thought
Activities:
Supermarket Botany
Supermarket Gardening

Unit 2 - Choosing a Plant to Study: Interviews and Background Research

Introduction.
The Ethnobotanical Interview: Learning about Plants from Our Families, Friends and Neighbors
Background Research
Writing a Research Paper on Your Plant
Questions for Thought
Activities: The Ethnobotanical Interview Form
Checklist of Activities for Report

Unit 3 - How to Preserve, Represent and Reproduce Your Plant

Introduction
Plant Conservation
Plant Identification
Representing Your Plant in Pictures
Plant Propagation
Questions for Thought
Activities:
Make an Herbarium Specimen of Your Plant
Create a Botanical Illustration
Photograph Your Plant
Propagate Your Plant
Preserve Your Plant’s Essence for Later Use in Tests

Unit 4 - Testing the Nutritional Properties of Your Plant

Introduction
The Essential Nutrients in Plant Foods
Questions for Thought
Activities:
Comparing Food Labels
Testing Your Plant for Selected Nutrients:
a. Does Your Plant Have Starch?
b. Does Your Plant Have Sugar?
c. Does Your Plant Have Oil?
d. Does Your Plant Have Protein?
e. Does Your Plant Have Vitamin C?
f. What Percentage of Your Plant is Made Up of Water?
g. What Percentage of Your Plant is Made Up of Minerals?
Summary of the Nutrition Experiments

Unit 5 - Testing the Medicinal Properties of Your Plant

Plants as Medicine
Infectious Disease
Noninfectious Disease
How Scientists Analyze New Drugs in the Lab
Questions for Thought
Activities:
Assessing the Potential Medicinal Properties of Your Plant:
a. Does Your Plant Have Antibiotic Properties, part 1
b. Does Your Plant Have Antibiotic Properties, part 2
c. Does Your Plant Have Antifungal Properties? Part 1: Can It Inhibit Yeast?
d. Does Your Plant Have Antifungal Properties? Part II: Can It Inhibit Bread Mold?
e. Does Your Plant Have Antiprotozoal Properties?
f. Does Your Plant Have Cytotoxic Properties?
Paper Chromatography Test
GelFiltration Chromatography Test
Summary of the Medicinal Experiments

Unit 6 - Testing Your Plant for Other Useful Properties.

Products From Plant Fibers
Applications for Gardening and Agriculture
Plants as a Source of Animal Feed
Plants as Ornamentals
Plant Dyes
Plants for Perfumes and Fragreances
Questions for Thought
Activities:
Can Your Plant Be Used to make Paper?
Can Your Plant Be Used for Cordage or Construction?
Can Your Plant Be Used to Make an Insecticide?
Does Your Plant Extract Stimulate Growth in Other Plants?
What is the pH of Your Plant Extract?
Could Your Plant Be a Source of Feed for Animals?
Could Your Plant Be Used in Fresh Floral Arrangements?
Can Your Plant Make a Colorful Dye?
Does your Plant Produce a Pleasant-Smelling Fragrance?

Unit 7 - Designing Your Own Experiment

Introduction
The Importance of Safety and Ethics in Experimental Design
Planning Your Experiment
The Experimental Design
Data Analysis and Graphing
Results and Conclusion
Questions for Thought
Checklist of Activities for Your Experiment

Unit 8 - Ecological and Economic Concerns in Ethnobotany

The Importance of Plant Diversity
The Value of Nature
The Role of Ethnobotany in Conservation and Development
Extinction is Not a Temporary Condition
Questions for Thought
Activities:
Create a Study Plot and Map it
Calculate the Abundance of Plant Life in Your Study Plot
Write a Journal and Ask Questions About Organisms in Your Study Plot
Survey Local People About the Marketability of Plants in Your Study Plot
Determine the Market Value of the Plants in Your Study Plot

Unit 9 - Supplemental Activities.

Ways to Celebrate and Share What You’ve Learned
Plant a Garden
Making the World a Better Place: Careers Related to Plants, People and the Environment.
Questions for Thought
Activities: Creating Plant Based Gifts

Appendix A - Sources and Resources

Books
Journals, Magazines, and Newsletters
Laboratory and Biological Supplies
Organizations
Web Sites

Appendix B - Fifty-four Useful and Interesting Plants

Africa
Central America and the Caribbean
North America
South America
South East Asia, Australia and South Pacific
China and Japan
Europe
India
Mediterranean
Unusual or Everywhere

Glossary
Index